Wired brassiere



23, I. w. ROSENBERG 2,480,049

W IRED BRAS S I ERE FiledJune 5 1947 Patented Aug. 23, 1949 UNIT,ED sTATgs PATENT QFFICE A aisopis winch BRASSIERE hater Waite h bera tesoill.- Application June 5, 1947, fierial No. 752,7}?

unfamiliar objection towiredbrassieres is that the fabricecouered wire braces are so placed, or readily become so displaced, as to press uncomfontabiy and iniuriouslyagainst the lower portions of the breasts, especially when they are heavy-and the wearer is active.

-ihe-prineipaiobiect of this invention is to so shield and protect the wearer that the support cannot be concentrated along the small wire brace -ancl thus prevent-the objectionable localized pressure. Generaily speaking, this is accomplished by proyiding each wire brace with a snugly fitting sheath and-associated pipin above and belowthe sheath bearing against the breast and the thorax, and so holding the wire brace that pressure is-distributedand cannot become 10- calizedalong the-wire brace.

"The preferred embodiment of the invention is shownin the accompanying drawings, inewhich :Fig. l-is-a front elevation of a'brassiere;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line 2--2 of i 1% l Fig. 3 is asimilar oross section illustratingthe objectionable characteristics of prior wired brassieres; v

=Fig. .4 is an enlarged cross-section on the line 4-4 of Fi 1;

Fig. 5 isla front elevation of the -wire brace before assembly and Fig. 6 is a similar front'elevation 0f the brace a t r be n i se ted in the s eath at a h d to the brassiere.

sllusttates .therrslim na ass But these particular "drawings and the specific description are intended for the purpose of i1- lustration only.

'Ilhc :brassir shown s some. hat conyentiona in that it includes ,two ,breast cups Ill, encircling straps II, and shoulder straps l2 connected in a familiar arrangement.

Hlhe .cups are fitted with .a wire ebracepgenerally indicated l3, fastened to them by a special. connector generally indicated at M and comprising a sheath 5 for the brace flanked by a piping 5'6 above and I1 below.

In one satisfactory form, the connector is made of a single piece of bias-cut fabric stitched along three lines l8, l9, and 20 (Fig. 4) to form three tubular portions, one making the sheath l5 for the wire brace l3 and the others forming the pipings I6 and H, in which are cords 2| and 22 of soft material familiar to the trade.

These lines of stitching may be made in the connection only or in the connector and the cup material simultaneously. But in either case roams.

. there is preferablyanadditional line of stitching 49 through the lowerportions of the cups and connector below the piping cord-.22. Fig. 7 i1; lustrates .the preliminary assembly.

As will appear best fromFig. 1, the connector takes the general form .of the wire brace 13 .of Fig. 6, and curves downwardly and outwardly from the mid position 2-3 between the breasts along the lowerrims of the cups, to which it is secured by suitable stitching.

It is of special importance that the sheathiliS for the arcuate portions 1240f the wire brace fit snugly to the end that when the brassiere-is being worn the pipings It and flank the sheath i5, and thereforethewire brace, substantially .as ii: lustrated in Fig. 2, and serye to distribute the support over a' considerable area and preyent it from becoming concentrated on the narrow brace 13;

The importance of this will become clearer .by reference to Fig. 3, where it will be seen that the wire brace 2 Ms so placed that the entire support of the brace is concentrated in the narrow area :26, and :thus produces the uncomfortable and injurious pressure .against. the lower portion of the breast or the adjacent portion of the thorax.

Attempts have been made in prior structures to prevent this bystitching felt 35 along the inner sideof the brassiere in curved lines corresponding to the arcuate portions -24 .of the brace; but,

in practice, these onlyserve .to accentuate the trouble, because the pressure of the breast in the cup revolves the adjacent portion of the cup around the :wire until the latter .comes against the/skin producing the mentioned pressure somewhat after the fashion illustrated in Fig. .3.

'With the arrangement shown in the enlargement .(Fig. 4D the substantially parallel Lcurving cord pipings flanking the sheath for the wire brace closely prevents any such revolution or turning about the brace, and maintains the desired relationship to "prevent concentration of the support on the brace.

In order to have a snug fit of the wire brace in the sheath, the arcuate portions 26 are inserted in the sheath before the eyes 21 are formed and before the two cups are secured together in the general area indicated by 23, and the ends of the connector are made fast in the areas generally indicated by 30. As here shown, the eyes 21 are formed after the subassembly is made; and appropriate stitching of the connector to the cups and the associated stitching for the encircling straps 3| are added later, some of the stitches being inserted through the eyes in order to make the ends of the brace securely fast.

The actual connection between the two cups in the area generally indicated by 23 is preferably made by a sleeve or pocket-like portion fitting over the arch 32 of the brace and stitched to the connectors and the adjacent portions of the cups.

As compared with prior wired brassieres, embodiments of this invention have a number of important advantages:'

1. There is no concentration of support on the wire brace, resulting in injurious and painful pressure.

2. There is no rolling or turning of the fabric about the wire to displace it with respect to other .in which said sheath comprises a strip of fabric covering said wire brace and stitched to said cup along either side of said brace.

things and produce the concentration that results Y in injury and pain.

3. The brace, and therefore the garment, is retained in proper position to give the desired-uplift and support, producing and preserving the delicate, natural lines without protrusions that might disclose the presence of the garment or disturb the lines.

The terms wire brace have been used somewhat generally, and are intended to cover a brace having suitable resiliency and flexibility to conform generally to the curved surface characteristics of chests of different'persons in the vicinity of thebreast, and may be made of a variety of materials, such as steel, brass, natural and artificial whalebone, andthe great variety of things now known by the term plastics.

The general form of the brace is indicated in the drawings, but variations will be made by skillful operators to bring out selected advantages and meet personal preferences. Instead of eyes 27, any sort of head may be used to make an end to the arcuate portions 24 that may well be retained in the fabric of the garment without danger of cutting through. The form of the arch 32 may be varied considerably, but some sort of arch or other connector there is desirable in order to produce and maintain the natural separation of the cups to'hold the breasts in the proper position. The'arcuate portions 24 may be arched in a single plane, or in a plurality of planes.

The materials of the other portions of the brassiere are largely a matter of choice, but, of course, the cups will be made of some soft material having natural flexibility and limpness suited to the service.

While the invention is here disclosed .in connection with a brassire only, it lends itself to brassieres, brassiere slips and lounging slips, foundation garments, etc., and the description and illustration will be suificient to guide those interested in making applications to such other garments.

I claim:

1. In a garment of the class described, a breast cup having an arcuate lower and inner edge,

3. A brassire construction comprising a pair 'of fabric breast cups each having an arcuate lower and inner edge and arranged beside one another with their adjacent inner edges in spaced-apart relation, an arcuate stiffening wire secured to the material of each cup and extending in spaced parallel relation to the said inner and lower edge of each and bridging the space between their respective inner edges at the points of closest approach thereof, a length of soft pliable cord closely paralleling said wire throughout each portion thereof secured to said material and lying between said wire and the edge of each cup, a second length of soft pliable cord closely pare alleling said wire on theopposite side of .each such portion, and a textile covering overlying said wire and said cords and'secured'to said material by rows of stitching passing through said material and said fabric along lines passing on either side of said wire and of said cords.

4. In a cup construction for brassires and the like, a single piece offabric havingan arcuate lower and inner edge, an arcuate stiffening Wire secured to said fabric in spaced parallel relation to the said lower and inner edge, a length of. soft pliable cord closely paralleling said'wire and lying between said wire and the said edge,, a second length of soft pliable cord closely paralleling said wire on the opposite side thereof, and a textile covering overlying said wire and said cords and secured to said fabric by rows of stitching passing through said fabric on either side of said wire and of said cords.

ISADORE WALTER ROSENBERG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record'in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

